Skylar McKenzie is a serious artist with a
plan. She'll graduate high school, travel around Europe, then leave her life in
Texas and move to New York. She'll also leave her feelings for the boy she's
known her whole life, behind and move on. Or so she hopes.
Jackson Cruz is ready for a future as a star
quarterback once he graduates high school. It's the path he's been leading for
years now. But when his cheerleader girlfriend cheats on him, and a teammate
causes a lot of drama, he wonders if this is really the life he's wanted, or if
there's something more.
They thought they had it all figured out-their
futures. But life doesn't always go as planned. With feelings revealed, their
dreams on the line, this is a year for changes, choices, and a love that might
or might not overcome all obstacles.
Told in Jackson and Skylar’s POV, this is a
story about acceptance, first love, embracing your passions and finding your
way, even if it’s not the way you had planned.
A new Young Adult novel, with adult content
coming late November 2013.
Torn was a pretty quick read.
It’s a story about two best friends, Jackson and Skylar, who grew up together
but in recent years have grown apart. This book is set in their senior year of
high school. At first, I really didn’t like Jackson at all. I honestly thought
he was a big jerk. I understand the history between Jackson and Skylar, but I
felt like she should have just given up on him. I mean, he is in the popular
crowd, plays football, and dates a bitchy cheerleader. He acts like Skylar no longer exists. It
seems once he gained popularity, he just dropped her like a bad habit. However,
she hangs on to what their friendship was and longs for him, even with his rude
treatment.
As the story goes on, he realizes
he is unhappy with the direction his life is going. He doesn’t like his
girlfriend, Amber, at all. She is just convenient to him at this point. He
begins to realize how much he misses Sky and starts to get back in her good
graces. Not like it takes much. I felt like there should have been a lot more
groveling involved. There are times, that his true personality shines through
and he sticks up for her. I was glad to see his gradual change. I will admit
that there were times that he melted my heart. He turns out to be a great guy
and I’m glad that Skylar and he get together.
These two basically know
everything about each other. They have always been the other’s life (not
counting the past few years.) When they decide to pursue a more than friends
relationship, they are already in love, but don’t know it yet. Their love for
each other is deep and strong, and seemingly unshakable. BUT, they have each
lost one parent due to different circumstances and it affects them.
I feel like this book could have
been great. However, it felt a little jumpy to me. I got confused on the timing
a few times and had to go back a few pages to try to clarify. The characters
are pretty solid. They even had a steady growth. Of course, these are high
school kids, so there is a bit of back slide, but you have to make mistakes in
order to learn and grow. That is exactly what happened here. It is also told in
the dual POV of Skylar and Jackson. While I think the author did a pretty good
job, there were times where Jackson sounded a bit like Skylar. All in all, this
is a good book. I do think it would be a great book if the author could rework
some of the jumpiness and some of Jackson’s POV. It honestly has a great story
line and characters. This is a mature YA novel, as there are sexual scenes.
“Jackson?”
Skylar’s voice is a breath of air.
“Hmm?”
“Do
you think your dad will ever date again?” Her question surprises me, but I’ve
wondered that myself. He just makes an excuse that he’s too busy.
I
move my head so I can look at her, “I’d like to think he’ll meet someone. But
he doesn’t seem interested.”
“My
mom’s the same way. She works too much so she claims she’s too tired.”
Absentmindedly, I run my fingers up and down her arm. “I think she’s still
scared of the idea.” I can relate. “Sometimes I can still hear my dad’s voice,
telling me what to do.” Her voice takes on a haunted tone. My hand reaches her
fingertips, slowly tracing the length of her newly manicured fingers. “Does the
pain ever go away?”
I
stop moving; wracking my brain for an answer but come up short. “I don’t know,
honestly. We've both lost a parent in a different way. I imagine it’ll get
easier. You know why?”
She
pivots her body so she’s on her side, facing me. “Why?”
I
lean close to her, reach out to touch her face and say, “Because I’m gonna
remind you of all the memories I have of him, to make you smile, laugh and feel
grateful for the time you got to spend with him. Because that’s what he’d
want.” A tear falls from her eye. My head dips slightly, kissing it away.
She
wraps her arm around my waist. “That would really help, Jackson. And I’m sure
he’s watching us from wherever he is, smiling and happy that his daughter is
happy with such an incredible guy.”
It
brings a smile to my face and I hope her dad knows how grateful I am to him for
bringing such an amazing girl into the world. I’ll do my best to show her how
special she is. I can be that guy for her. I will be. I hold her tight against
me, massaging her back. Our legs are tangled together. There’s no such thing as
perfect; in a perfect world, maybe. But this is anything but a perfect world.
However; this night, this moment, is as close to perfect as you can get. I
close my eyes, soaking up the warmth emanating from her body, listening to her
steady heartbeat.
Annie Brewer leads
several lives. At home she's a caring mother of two with a heart of gold.
Online, she's a best friend to several and puts a smile on her many fans every
time she utters a word. In her own world, she's a dreamer. But the biggest part
of her is made of books, books, and more books. It's not a surprise she's
turned out to be such a talented young author. Some of her many hobbies include
reading, drooling over Ian Somerhalder, Channing Tatum,and Christian Grey
(etc.), reading, reviewing, reading, watching Vampire Diaries, reading, and
last but not least WRITING like a maniac. She currently resides in Texas, where
she dies of heat-strokes every few seconds, with her many books and book-boyfriends,
and her two adorable little girls.
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